Gang mail box



March 8 1927.

H. KRICK GANG MAIL BOX Filed June 50. 1924 X/ 7 INVENTOR M ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 8, 1927.

unirs srrss HOMER- KRICK, OF FORT 'WAYNE, II-TIDZANA, ASSI'G-NGR OF GEE-HALF TO EDWARD'N.

HARBER, OF FQRT Vi A-YNE, INDIAIKA.

GANG MAIL BOX.

Applicationfiled June 30,

This invention relates to'improvements in gang mail boxes foruse in apartment houses andis of that type wherein a case having a group of compartmentswith separate doors is provided and stationed in the hallway of the first floor or lobby of. an-apartment build ing, the tenants being; provided with keys for. the particular. compartments assigned to them for their useand the postman being providedwith a key by which access is had to allof the compartments.

The object of the invention is: First, to provide a. mail receptacle having individual compartments with corresponchng doors for the removal of. mail separately therefrom, and an independent means of access to said compartment severally and locked universally under the control of the postman and, second, to provide annnnciating means 1n connection with the individual compartments and severally operable when access is had thereto.

These objects are accomplished by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a construction embodying the invention, parts thereof being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation projected from 1, parts thereof being broken away; and

Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating the electrically operated annunciators and their connections.

The characters appearing in the description refer to parts shown in the drawings and designated thereon by correspondlng characters.

The invention comprises a case 1 having therein a series of vertically disposed partitions 2 that divides the case into a corresponding series of compartments 3. In the front wall 4 of the case below the center thereof are a series of hinged doors 5, one for each compartment, each door being provided with a. lock 6. Each compartment has also in the front wall adjacent the top of the case a door 7 hinged at its lower end so as to swing outwardly, the upper end of each of said doors having therein a hand opening 8.

A universal cover 9 consisting of an angle iron bar having a downwardly extending arm 10 at each end thereof is positioned so 1924. Serial No. mans.

as to extend over the front margin of the case at its top and universally cover the upper ends of the upper doors 7 and close the hand openings therein. The armslO have pivotal connection at the corresponding ends of the case as indicated by 111', there being a shoulder 12 on each arm that comes into contact with the front of the case when the universal cover is swung outwardly and thus limits the outward swing of the cover. A master lock 13 has fixed relation, with the universalcover and has engagement with a pendant lug 1 lliieneaththe top of the case to hold the cover in locked position, there being an. opening 15 in the central partition 2 for the accommodation of the lock when the cover is closed.

In each compartment, in the upper part thereof is an electrical switch 16 that is normally open, and which is closed by any suitable operating device, such for example, as a pivotal cam member 17 having an arm 18 that is connected to a lug 19 on the inner. face of the corresponding door 7 by means of a bar 20. Movement is imparted to the cam member when the door with which it has connection is swung outwardly so that the cam member comes into contact with and closes the switch. Each switch is connected with a battery 21 by means of a conductor 22 and with a corresponding buzzer 23 or other similar annunciating device by an individual conductor 24, each buzzer being also connected with the battery by a conductor 25. The 'buzzers are located in the various apartments of the building, one for each tenant.

In utilizing the invention the case is permanently positioned in or upon the wall of the building in the lobby thereof and the buzzers located in the various apartments are connected up with the corresponding switches in the compartments and the battery is connected up with the switches. WVhen mail is to be delivered the postman having a key for the lock 13 opens the cover 9 by unlocking it and swinging it outwardly to the position indicated in dotted outline in Fig. 1. The doors 7 are then selectively opened, according to such of those compartments into which mail is to be deposited by the postman, the remaining doors being left intact. As the doors are opened the cam members connected therewith engage and close the corresponding switches which effects operation of the buzzers connected therewith, which is indicative of the deposit of mail matter in the tenants compartments. Those of the buzzers'that are connected with such of the compartments, the doors 7 of which have been left intact by the postman, remain silent. Thus, those of the tenants for whom no mail matter has been deposited are saved unnecessary inspection of their com.- partments, while the other tenants are apprised so that they may obtain their mail matter without delay after being deposited by the postman when the postman has completed the distribution of mail matter in the various compartments. Those of the doors that have been opened by the postman rest upon the cover and are automatically closed when he returns the cover to locked position, the open doors being necessarily moved to closed position with the cover because of their engagement therewith. Thus, the up per doors are universally closed and locked without liability of any of them being lett open or unlocked through neglect. As the various tenants are supplied with individual keys for the corresponding lower doors, the removal of the mail matter deposited in the various compartments is effected selectively as to said compartments by opening the corresponding lower doors by the tenants.

What I claim is 1. A. gang mail box comprising a case having a series of compartments; a series of receiving doors hinged to swing outwardly and downwardly, one for each of said compartments and being independently operable; a hinged cover on the case having limited movement, and being operable to sustain said receiving doors in open position, and to close said doors collectively when said cover is moved to closed position; a lock controlling said cover; and a series of in dividually lock controlled removal doors, one for each of said compartments, each being operable independently or" said cover.

2. A gang mail box comprising a case having a series of compartments arranged in successive order; a series of receiving doors, one for each of said compartments; a universal cover on the case operable to prevent opening of said receiving doors; a lock controlling said cover; and a series of individually lock controlled removal doors, one for each of said connaartments, each being operable independently of said cover.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

HOMER KRICK. 

